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Preparing Your Home for Winter Starts in Early Fall

To make sure you and your family stay cozy and stress-free this winter, there are some chores you should attend to long before the snow starts to fly. Early fall is the best time to prepare your home for winter; the weather is still nice enough to easily get things done both inside and outside, and you’ll be confident that you will stay warm long before you feel cold. Practicing good home-owner maintenance now will make for a much more enjoyable winter season later.

Heating System Tune Up

One of the most important things to prepare long before winter hits is your heating system, making fall a great time to have a professional come to your home to inspect your furnace. Hire someone trustworthy like the professionals at Complete Heating and Air to make sure your system is clean and functioning properly. They will make sure your HVAC is working efficiently so that you will stay warm all winter long.

Reverse your Fans

Contrary to what you may believe, your ceiling fans are good for much more than keeping cool in the summer. You can use your fans to make the most of your heating and cooling by maximizing your use of that cool or warm air. In the fall, reverse your fans so that they rotate in a clockwise direction. This will cause an updraft and push the heated air down from the ceiling and into the room. By moving the warm air from the ceiling back down into the room you will stay warmer and even save money on your utility bills.

Inspect your Roof

Winter is the last time of year you want to be worrying about a problem with your roof. Get ahead of any potential repairs by examining your roof in early fall for any problems with your shingles or other visible signs of damage. It may even be worth it to hire a professional every few years to do a more thorough check.

Check your Air Filter

While you are taking care of the various maintenance items around your home in early fall, be sure to check your air filters. If they are clogged be sure to change them as soon as possible to avoid reducing air flow and avoid other problems with your HVAC system. Ideally, you should be changing (or at the very least, checking) your air filter each month.

Get Duct Work Cleaned

Along with a tune up of your HVAC system, you should make sure your air ducts are clean and clear to improve efficiency and air quality. Hire a professional to give them a thorough cleaning by clearing your vents, cooling coils, fans, and heat exchanges of dust and other debris.

Seal Cracks

Stay warm and cozy this winter by making sure you’re not losing warm air through cracks or leaks around your windows and doors. In early fall you should inspect your home for things like worn weather stripping or cracks in caulk. Get these replaced or repaired as quickly as possible.

If your heater has any problems or for a system tune up, contactSandy Heating and Airthis fall to prep your heating system for winter.